APHRODITE (ANCIENT MANNERS) Pierre Lou s Privately Printed · MCMXXV (1925) Limited to 1500 Copies — 1000 for America, 500 for Great Britain “The most beautiful woman in the world is the one you love.” Aphrodite is Pierre Lou s’s masterwork — a lush, sensual portrait of courtesan life in ancient Alexandria, first published in France in 1896 and immediately scandalous, immediately celebrated. It became one of the most translated and reprinted books of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and for good reason: Lou s wrote it as a classicist and a poet, not a pornographer. The result is something genuinely literary — erotic, yes, but also beautiful, melancholy, and steeped in the atmosphere of ancient Egypt. The edition: This 1925 “privately printed” edition is a product of its era. In the 1920s, American publishers who wanted to issue books with frank erotic content used the “privately printed for subscribers only” framing as a legal shield against Anthony Comstock’s Society for the Suppression of Vice and similar censorship bodies. The limitation statement — 1500 copies, split between America and Great Britain — gave the edition an air of exclusivity while the “private” framing provided some legal cover. The text is the complete, unabridged translation including the new material Lou s added to his 1900 revised edition. The dedication reads: “TO ALBERT BESNARD — The homage of profound admiration and of respectful friendship” — Albert Besnard being the French painter and close friend of Lou s. The copy: This is a Very Good copy in the original two-tone binding: gray/blue cloth boards with a cream/ivory vellum-like spine. The gilt lettering on the spine is sharp. The binding is tight and the interior is clean — no inscriptions, no markings, no bookplate. The dust jacket is the standout feature of this copy. Most copies of this edition in the market are listed without a dust jacket — many dealers note it as “issued without jacket,” though the survival of an intact original jacket in this condition suggests otherwise. The jacket is plain cream/tan with bold title lettering and the “Privately Printed for Subscribers Only” notation. The original Net $10.00 price is present on the front flap, confirming this is the original 1925 jacket. The jacket shows general toning and light edge wear consistent with its age, but is structurally complete — no major tears, no losses. Condition summary: Book: Very Good (tight, clean, attractive binding; interior toned but unmarked) Dust Jacket: Very Good (present, original, structurally intact; general toning only)